Scott County man honored for 45 years of assisting elections

GATE CITY — Walter Rose knows a thing or two about running elections in Scott County.

Whether he’s worked behind the scenes as a volunteer or served on the Electoral Board, Rose has been involved in some capacity for the last 45 years, a milestone for which he was honored by the Board of Supervisors on Wednesday.

In front of the rest of the board and members of the public, BOS Chairman David Redwine told Rose, “We will forever be grateful for your inspiring motivation and guidance in keeping the integrity of Scott County elections.”

What is the Electoral Board?

According to the Virginia Department of Elections, “The Electoral Board of each county and city in Virginia is made up of three members who serve three-year staggered terms.”

The Electoral Board for each locality has a number of responsibilities, including selecting polling places in each precinct, approving voting equipment, setting up and assisting at each polling place and ensuring election results are accurate and valid.

Redwine, who led Wednesday’s presentation, commented on the challenges of running an election, including the long hours required to ensure the process goes smoothly.

That’s one reason Rose’s commitment and dedication deserved to be recognized, Redwine said.

“We continue to keep up with and lead the state in election processes as far as the ability to run a fair election and represent the people,” Redwine said. “The thing that makes these elections work so well is the people in our county who are so dedicated to the process and to the other people.”